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Page 166
course, it was warm enough in the stable now, but once the great equine bodies were gone it would be a different story.
Since she was there, Alinor went to look at one of the gray brood mares whose colt would be due in a few months. Two stalls away, an old mare whinnied. Alinor stopped and stepped into the stall to stroke the soft muzzle that was more silver now than golden. She looked sadly at the sunken temples, the too-prominent hip bones and ribs. The mare nuzzled her breast and danced a little stiffly.
"Poor Honey," Alinor crooned, "poor Honey." Then suddenly she smiled. "Saddle her up," she said to a groom.
"Lady," one of the menservants pleaded, "lady" He dared say no more. No one would disobey the lady, but all knew of her near abduction.
"I am not going out," Alinor assured her anxious servants. "Poor Honey could not carry me far. I will only pleasure her by riding within the palisade to decide where to place the horses."
A rough palisade of logs had been built outside the walls of the keep to confine the herds of animals that would be needed to feed the guests that would overflow the capacity of the outer bailey. Most of these animals had been driven in already and were being fattened with fodder that also came from outlying demesne farms in long trains of creaking wains. Alinor rode to and fro within the confines of the log wall, checking them and looking out the best ground. Suddenly, from the wall of the keep behind her, a shout of alarm came from a lookout. Alinor cursed, kicked Honey into a shambling canter, and was across the drawbridge before the servants could wrestle the gates of the palisade closed.
By then, the precaution was seen to be unnecessary. The troop was small, and, more to the point, Beorn's voice was calling for admittance. That meant news from Ian. Alinor had had no word since she had sent him

 
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